Rotary fluid motor for dry shavers



y 1953 c. MERRIMAN I 2,638,310

ROTARY FLUID MOTOR FOR DRY SHAVERS Filed Feb. 6, 1948 das /0 /0 Z I J5 A9 /a //7 IN VEN TOR. 4 [6672)" Me r/w'fla/r ATTORNEYJ Patented May 12, 1953 ROTARY FLUID MOTOR FQR DRY SHAVERS Lester C. Merriman, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada Application February 6, 1948; Serial No. 6,792

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in motor-driven dry shavers and the like, and more particularly to a pneumatically-operated device of this kind which is powered by the breath of the user, the primary object of the invention to provide a dry shaver or the like which being does not depend for its operation upon availability of electric current supply or sources of pressurized air or water.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a dry shaver or the like which is simple in construction and has fewer wearing parts and hence longer than usual life, and which can be operated more easily and at a lower cost than other powered devices of this kind.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein merely for purposes of disclosure herein, a specific embodiment of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawing:

Figur 1 is a sectional plan View taken substantially on the center line through the shaver of the present invention, with parts of the casing broken away.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the illustrated dry shaver, generally designated 5, comprises a substantially-cylindrical elongated casing 6 rounded at its rearward end at l and in dented on its underside at 8 and having a longitudinal semi-cylindrical enlargement 8' along one side. The forward end of the casing is externally reduced at 9 to telescope into an internally-reduced portion ill on the rear end of a suitable form of cutter head ll, comprising, in this instance, the rounded shell [2 having the rectangular transversely-elongated portion l3 containing the stationary blades M, with a movable blade assembly positioned cooperatively behind the stationary blades for movement relative thereto. Screws l0 hold the head in place on the casing.

The casing 6 further comprises the intermediate partitions l6 and II, respectively, which with the sidewall [8 of the casing define the rotor chamber I9, the partitions being formed with bearing apertures in which are journaled enlarged anti-friction bearings 20 and 2|, respectively, on

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse section the rotor shaft'22 'at oppositeends of the closed hollow cylindrical turbine rotor 23. has'longitudinally extending blades or vanes 24 which curve in the circumferential direction 013- posite some intended direction of rotation of the rotor, as shown in Figure 3. I

The rotor shaft extends forwardly through another partition 25 forwardly of which the shaft has a flywheel 26 having an eccentric pin 2-1 extending into and operatively" engaging in a socket 228 provided in the movable blade assembly IS, The rotor shaft extends rearwardly beyond the partition l6, where the shaft has a longer diameter flywheel 3|, with its rear. end supported in an anti-friction bearing 32 on a rear partition 33. l

.The casing sidewall I8 is provided with an air outlet opening 34 from the rotor chamber l9 at the-bottom of the casing 6, while the air for driving the rotor. 23 is conducted by a conduit 35 having a portion 36 extending along the casing sidewall I8, as shown in Figure 1, from a double curved portion 36 passing rearwardly at the center of the rear end of the casing. The conduit portion'35 'has longitudinally-spaced baffles 35' which curve'toward the rotor for directing the air tangentially through a longitudinal opening 34 in the inward side of the conduit portion 36, against the rotor blades 24. The conduit portion '36 is located, as shown in Figure 4, in the longitudinal enlargement 8' along the side of the casing B.

Supplying this conduit with air for driving the rotor 23 is a flexible breath tube 31, terminating in'a removable mouthpiece 38. In operating the device, the operator places the mouthpiece in his mouth, and exerting lung pressure after partially filling the lungs, expels the air through the breath tube 31, whereby the rotor 23 is rotated. Once the rotor has started, the momentum of the flywheels keeps the rotor running with little extra breathing effort during the application of the shaving head to the surfaces to be clipped or shaved.

The rear and larger diameter flywheel projects through a slot 39 provided in the indented casing portion 8 so that it can be turned with a finger to start the rotor turning, as or before the breath is blown through the tube 31 for operating the device.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pneumatic motor adapted for operation by the breath of a user, an elongated closed end casing serving as a handle and comprising a rotor chamber having a cylindrical side wall and end The rotor,

walls, said end walls being longitudinally spaced from the ends of said casing, a rotor in said chamber extending between said end walls having longitudinally elongated blades extending the length of the rotor having edges running close to the cylindrical side Wall of said chamber, said rotor having shaft portions journalled in said end Walls and extending axially beyond said end walls into the spaces between said end walls and the adjacent ends of the casing, a conduit within and extending along one side of said chamber and formed with a longitudinal opening in its inward side extending the length of said chamber between said end walls, the side wall of the casing being formed with a breath discharge opening circumferentially spaced from said conduit, said conduit having a closed end and an open end. a breath tube having an end connected to the open end of said conduit and another end adapted to be placed in the mouth of the user whereby n theusers breath can .be expelled through the tube to drive the rotor, said conduit having longitudinally spaced baiiles therealong for directing the breath coming through the breath tube against the rotor vanes through said longitudinal conduit opening.

2. In a pneumatic motor adapted for operation by the breath of a user, an elongated closed end casing serving as a handle and comprising a rotor chamber having a cylindrical side wall and end walls, said end walls being longitudinally spaced from the ends of said casing, a rotor in said chamber extending between said end walls having longitudinally elongated blades extending the length of the rotor having edges running close to the cylindrical side wall of said chamber, said rotor having shaft portions journalled in said end walls and extending axially beyond said end walls into the spaces between said end walls and the adjacent ends of the casing, a conduit within and extending along one side of said chamber and formed with a longitudinal opening in its inward side extending the length of said chamber between said end walls, the sidewall of the casing being formed with a breath discharge opening circumferentially spaced from said conduit, said conduit having a closed end and an open end, a breath tube having an end connected to the open end of said conduit and another end adapted to be placed in the mouth of the user whereby the users breath can be expelled through the tube to drive the rotor, said conduit having longitudinally spaced bafiles therealong for directing the breath coining through the breath tube against the rotor vanes through said longitudinal conduit opening, at least one of said shaft portions having flywheel means thereon located in a space between a chamber end wall and the corresponding end of the casing.

3. In a pneumatic motor adapted for operation by the breath of a user, an elongated closed end casing serving as a handle and comprising a rotor chamber having a cylindrical side wall and end walls, said end walls being longitudinally spaced from the ends of said casing, a rotor in said chamber extending between said end walls having longitudinally elongated blades extending the length of the rotor having edges running close to the cylindrical side wall of said chamber, said. rotor having shaft portions journalled in said end walls and extending axially beyond said end walls into the spaces between said end walls and the adjacent ends of the casing, a conduit within and extending along one side of said chamber and formed with a longitudinal opening in its inward side extending the length of said chamber between said end walls, the side wall of the easing being formed with a breath discharge opening circumferentially spaced from said conduit, said conduit having a closed end and an open end, a breath tube having an end connected to the open end of said conduit and another end adapted to be placed in the mouth of the user whereby the users breath can be expelled through the tube to drive the rotor, said conduit having longitudinally spaced baiiies therealong for directing the breath coming through the breath tube against the rotor vanes through said longitudinal conduit opening, at least one of said shaft portions having flywheel means thereon located in a space between a chamber end wall and the corresponding end of the casing, and means on the other shaft portion adapting it for operative connection to utilization means.

LESTER C. MERRIMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 807,435 Burgman Dec. 19, 1995 847,706 Sparks Mar. 19, 1907 996,787 Nelson July l, 1911 1,073,824 Smith Sept. 1913 1,119,370 Queal Dec. 1, 1914 1,156,594 Fiscus Oct. 12, 1915 1,415,298 Bentley May 9, 1922 1,811,903 Van Bree June 30, 1931 2,233,349 Lightfoot Feb. 25, 1941 2,276,714 Brown Mar. 17, 1942 

